5/1

While I didn't think tonight's new episode of The Newsroom was anywhere near "bad," it did mark the first time since the show debuted that I thought the newest episode wasn't better than the one before it. I think in large part this is due to the big jump in quality last week, that dealt with Will's reluctant introspection over having bullied an interviewee on the air. That was a powerful episode with palpable sadness and regret in the character.

This week's episode dealt with the death of Osama bin Laden. And I think I didn't caught up in this as much because a year ago, for the actual event itself, I didn't get caught up in it that much. I watched the passion of the characters to report on this story that one of them referred to as the most significant story of a generation. But that's not personally how I remember it.

Thinking back on the actual event, I remember some little bit of discussion on Facebook -- with many people trumpeting the terrorist's assassination, and others (a smaller group) arguing that cheering for a death was ghoulish, no matter how big a ghoul the deceased was. And I seem to remember that rather limited and surprisingly tame discussion played itself out in maybe a day or two. Frankly, I think I've seen equally enthusiastic chatter over the landing of the Curiosity probe on Mars -- and for a more extended number of days, too.

Now maybe I'm misremembering. Whether I am or not, I certainly don't mean to belittle the feelings of anyone who did in fact feel particularly moved by the death of Osama bin Laden. All I know is, I watched The Newsroom tonight and felt as though the episode was more forced, more "fictitious" even, than last week's almost wholly invented hour.

Most of the more "prat fall-ish" elements of the hour worked, from the figurative treatment that was stoned Will McAvoy to the more literal version that was airplane-bound Don falling in the aisle. But there weren't too many genuine moments this week. Jim's attempt to "reboot" his relationship with a "real" first date felt sweet, although all of Maggie's silly neurosis over it felt a bit forced. Probably the best moment of the night came from Charlie's impassioned speech about how the need to report first had cost lives in the Gulf War in 1991 -- a speech excellently delivered by Sam Waterston.

Oh well. Even taking a slight dip in quality, The Newsroom was far and away more entertaining than this week's new True Blood. That show has somehow turned into a parody of itself, like 24 in the sixth season. I enjoy the great character moments with Pam, Lafayette, and Andy Bellefleur, and try to stave off boredom at basically everything else. Should have watched Breaking Bad instead tonight.